Soaking up the sun’s rays has positive effects on mental and physical Health. It’s best to be smart about the sun, though, as too much can cause burns and cancer.

Vitamin D is made by the sun and helps your body absorb calcium to prevent bone-weakening conditions like rickets and osteoporosis. Vitamin D also promotes healthy blood pressure.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, or calciferol, is fat-soluble and found in some foods. It also is produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. Vitamin D intake is important for bone health, but it has many other benefits as well. It reduces inflammation and regulates genes involved in inflammatory pathways and cell growth. It may help prevent cancer and improve the effectiveness of some antidepressants.

The amount of vitamin D your body makes depends on the season, sun exposure and latitude. You can also get vitamin D by taking dietary supplements. One of the best ways to know if you have adequate levels is to ask for a blood test that measures 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D. Serum levels of this form of the vitamin are reported in nanomoles per liter or micrograms per milliliter.

Low vitamin D levels are associated with high rates of hospital admissions and use of epinephrine auto-injectors, or EpiPens, for allergic reactions. A 2019 study also suggests that women with low vitamin D levels are more likely to develop preeclampsia and give birth prematurely [40].

Vitamin D toxicity is rare, but it can occur. Very high levels of the vitamin in the blood, above 375 nmol/L (150 ng/mL), cause nausea and vomiting, confusion, pain, loss of appetite, excessive urination and thirst, drowsiness and heart rhythm abnormalities. This occurs most often from overuse of dietary supplements that contain vitamin D.

Mood Enhancer

Sunshine is known to boost moods, but it’s not just in your head—there is a science behind this. Vitamin D, a hormone produced by the skin in response to sun exposure, is a powerful mood enhancer. It increases levels of serotonin, a chemical that helps to lift your mood and make you feel calm and focused. It also promotes the production of melatonin, which regulates your body’s circadian rhythm, helping you to fall asleep and wake up each morning and night.

Getting enough sunshine is important for mental health, especially during the fall and winter when there is less daylight. It may help prevent a condition called seasonal affective disorder, which causes depression that varies depending on the season. It can be difficult to diagnose, but many people who get adequate amounts of sunlight may find their symptoms improve. If you suffer from SAD, try to expose yourself to bright light throughout the day and use a light box during the dark winter months.

Sunshine Health, a Centene Corporation company, is one of the largest healthcare plans in Florida. We offer specialty behavioral, medical and pharmacy services as well as a network of support for our members. Whether you need behavioral health, long term care, Medicare Advantage or help paying your premium through the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter), we’re here to help. To learn more about Sunshine Health, visit our website or call us today.

Improves Bone Health

Vitamin D, which the sun’s rays help your body make, is crucial for bone health. It aids the absorption of calcium, which keeps bones strong and healthy. The nutrient helps reduce your risk of brittle and fractured bones, as well as other chronic illnesses. A severe deficiency in the nutrient is linked to diseases like rickets, osteomalacia and weak bones.

In fact, low levels of vitamin D are linked to more than 53 disease states, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and heart disease. The nutrient is also critical for your immune system, helping your body fight infections.

While too much time in the sun can lead to skin damage and some forms of cancer, a moderate amount of sunshine does a number of positive things for your health. It boosts mood, lowers blood pressure and slashes heart disease risk by helping the body absorb oxygen better. The UV rays in sunlight also help prevent osteoporosis and reduce the chances of falls by strengthening bones.

A recent study found that vitamin D supplements did not significantly reduce the rate of broken bones in people over age 50. The researchers advise that doctors and health professionals should stop recommending the pills to patients. Instead, consuming foods rich in the vitamin, such as fortified milk and oily fish, can bring your body up to its recommended dose of 600 to 800 international units daily.

Lowers Blood Pressure

While we often hear about the dangers of too much sun, the right amount can do good things. For example, vitamin D, produced by the body in response to sun exposure, has been linked with lowering blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can cause serious health problems including stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. Regularly measuring and adjusting your blood pressure can help you avoid these consequences.

In a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, researchers found that subjects with higher levels of vitamin D had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than those with lower levels. In addition to getting vitamin D from the sun, you can also find it in foods such as egg yolks, mushrooms, salmon, soy milk and cod liver oil.

Sunshine Health is among the largest healthcare plans in Florida and offers a comprehensive system of care centered around each individual’s unique needs. It operates Florida’s Medicaid and Marketplace (Ambetter) health insurance plans, Children’s Medical Services Health Plan and provides long-term care services. The company’s Ambetter marketplace health insurance plans offer a balance between monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. Sunshine Health is owned by Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company that offers government-sponsored managed care and private healthcare insurance for individuals. Visit their website to learn more about their services and how they can help you save money on your marketplace health insurance.

Prevents Cancer

Sunlight provides a variety of vital benefits, but overexposure can cause skin cancer. The sun emits ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which can damage DNA and lead to skin cancer. In addition to its role in vitamin D production, sunlight stimulates the release of a neuropeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), from sensory nerve fibers in the skin. CGRP suppresses immune functions and inhibits mast cell activation. This may explain why sunlight is helpful in the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis.

Researchers have found that people in sunnier parts of the world have lower rates and deaths from cancer than do people living farther north. This led them to investigate whether the secret was vitamin D, which they discovered can prevent and treat many different diseases.

In fact, the incidence of skin cancer has begun to plateau in Australia thanks to its “Slip, Slop, Slap” sunscreen campaign, and in other areas due to adherence to the advice to wear protective clothing and hats. The sun’s UVR also stimulates a protein that limits oxidative DNA damage and increases gene repair, further reducing the risk of cancer.

Sunshine Health is among Florida’s largest healthcare plans, offering coordinated care and a network of support for our members. We provide quality healthcare solutions to more than 1 million Floridians through Medicaid, the Marketplace, and Medicare Advantage Health Plan (Ambetter). We’re proud to be part of the Centene Corporation family of companies.